Burial-casket.



Patented Out. I, 19m.

No. 683,714. F. wAnrm-zn.

BURIAL GASKET.

A lication filed. Apr. 1b, 1901.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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BURlAL-CASKET.

37931101. "CATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,714, dated October 1, 1901.

Application filed April 18, 1901. Serial No. 56,447. (No model.) I

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that- I, FRANK WARTHER, a citizen of the United States of America,and a resi dent of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Burial-Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in burial caskets and coffins, and has for its object to provide a casket or coffin of a simple, strong, and durable construction having improved securing means for holding the casket or coffin lid in closed position.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved casket or coffin and its lid-securing means whereby certain important advantages are attained and the devices are made simpler and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation showing a casket provided with my improvements, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a fragment of the side portion of the casket body and lid with the improved securing devices for holding the lid in place. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the underside of the flange of the casketbody with the lid-securing devices engaged therewith. Fig. 4is an enlarged fragmentary View showing the devices at the under side of the casket-lid. Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial view showing the upper face of the casket-body flange. Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial section taken lengthwise through the meeting parts of the casket-body flange and lid in the plane indicated by line I) b in Fig. 7 and showing the devices for holding the lid in position. Fig. 7 is an enlarged partial section taken transverselythrough the meeting parts of the casket and lid in the plane indicated by the line a a, in Fig. 6 and showing certain features of construction to be hereinafter referred to.

In the views,1 indicates, as a whole,the body portion of the casket, and 2 the lid thereof.

The casket-body 1 is, as herein shown, formed from sheet metal, as indicated at 3, and near the upper part of the casket-body the sheetmetal walls thereof are formed with returnbends at, as seen clearly in Fig. 7, being bent first down and then upward, as indicated at 6, so as to produce around the edges of the sheet-metal structure a groove or channel, with which is engaged a downwardly-directed 6o bead or lip 5, provided on the under side of the rim or flange portion 7 of the casket, which portion 7 is preferably formed from cast metal and has in its under side a channel or groove, outside the bead or lip 5 and adapted to receive the bent portion 4 of the casketwall. At the upper face of the rim or flange portion 7 is formed a raised bead or projection 8, inside which the part 6 of the casketwall extends, and the upper edge portion of said wall is bent outward over the upper edge of said bead or project-ion, as shown at 9. By this construction it will be seen that the r cast-metal rim or flange portion 7 is held securely to the sheet-metal body portion 3 of the casket by being clamped between the bends produced in the casketwalls. The edges of the sheet-metal casket-body are also greatly stifiened. In the upper face of the flange portion 7 is produced a channel or :recessed seat 10, extended around the casket and having a central part 11 of increased depth, and said seat or channelis adapted to receive a packing 12, of rubber or other substance, so that a tight joint may be effected with the casket-lid rested on said flanged portion.

The casket-lid 2 is also formed from sheet metal and is reinforced at its edge portion, where it is designed to rest upon the flange or rim portion 7 of the casket-body, by means of a separate cast-metal plate or part 17,which has a depending edge flange 16, around and beneath which the lower edge portions of the sheet-metal walls of the lid 2 are bent, as shown at 15 in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 7. The plate or part 17 is also provided with integral upwardly-extended lugs or arms 19,spaced apart and designed to extend up under and support the edge portions of the casket-lid, to I00. which they are soldered and with the curvature of which they conform. By this construction it will be seen that the edges of the lid 2 are stiffened and the reinforce 17 is also securely held in place thereon.

The reinforcing plate or part 17 of the casket-lid is formed on its under side with a projecting bead or lip 18 in line with the deeper central portion 11 of the recessed seat 10 of the casket-flange 7, by means of which the packing 12, held in said seat, is closely pressed down into said deeper portion 11 of the seat when the lid 2 is drawn down upon the casket-body, and in order to so draw down the casket-lid upon the body and also to securely hold said lid in place I provide the casket-lid with securing devices adapted for engagement with the flange 7 of the casketbody. These securing devices comprise rotative keys or members 25, having studs 27, which are passed through apertured bosses 24, extended down from the under side of the reinforcing-plate 17 of the lid, the studs being riveted or otherwise secured upon the upper face of the plate or part 17, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to hold the members or keys in place, while leaving them free for turning movement. The bosses 24: of the plate or part 17 extend down through openings 21 in" the casket-flange 7 when the lid is on the casket, said openings being elongated, as shown at 20, to permit the sides of the keys or members 25 to pass freely through the openings to the under side of the flange or part 7. The lower ends or heads of the keys or members 25 are in flattened form, and the side portions thereof are adapted when the lid is applied to the casket-body and said keys are turned to take underneath the flange 7 of the casket-body at opposite sides of the elongated openings through which the keys are passed, as shown at Figs. 3 and 7. The under side of the flange 7 is also provided with raised and inclined cam-surfaces 22 along the opposite sides of the elongated openings,and with these cam-surfaces the side portions of the heads of keys or members 25 are engaged when said members are turned in such a way as to draw down the'lid 2 upon the casket-body to form a close joint between the parts and also to hold the lid in place. The surfaces of the side portions of the heads of keys 25 are beveled, as seen at 26, where they are engaged with the cam-surfaces22, so as to render the movement of the parts as free as possible, and in order to prevent excessive movement of the keys 25, whereby they might slip off the cam-surfaces 22 and release the casket-lid, I provide raised stops 23 at the ends of the cam surfaces and with which the side portions of the keys engage when the keys are fully; turned. Thus the keys when turned in one direction serve to draw down the casket-lid and hold it securely upon the body and when turned in an opposite direction serve to release the lid, the stops 23 serving to limit each of these movements, so as to greatly facilitate the locking of the lid or its removal. When the lid is applied upon the casket-body, the keys or members 25 will register with the openings in flange 7 and will extend through the said openings to the under side of the said flange, so that they may be conveniently turned to draw the casket-lid down andsecure it upon the body of the casket.

The construction of the casket, as above described, with sheet-metal walls and lid, the two parts being reinforced along their meeting edges by means of the cast-metal plates or parts 7 and 17, is extremely simple, strong, light, and durable and permits of imparting to the casket a much more ornate appearance than has hitherto been possible. The construction and arrangement of the improved securing devices for the casket-lid are also extremely simple and not expensive and are especially desirable by reason of the facility with which the devices may be actuated and their security and also for the reason that they are practically invisible,'being hidden beneath the flange of the casket-body. It will also be obvious from the above description that the improved casket or coffin constructed according to my invention is capable of some modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement ofthe several parts herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination of the body of a casket orv cam surface with which said member is adapted for engagement to draw the lid downupon the casket or coffin body and being also provided with a projection in the path of said member when turned, to limit the rotative movement of the member, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 15th dayof April, 1901.

FRANK WARTHER. Witnesses:

J. D. THORNE, JOHN ELIAS JONES. 

